Persona: The Drabble Project
by Kishi
Summary: Exactly what it sounds like. One shots from the experiences of the P3 characters.
1. Chapter 1

Kishi: I won't lie – I'm using these one shots to get my writer's block out of the way. If I write enough, sooner or later it'll clear.

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Persona

The Drabble Project

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Looking back on it, Minato had thought that splitting the party up had been a _good _idea. And at the time, it had seemed that it was. That floor of Tartarus was bigger than usual, and the enemies hadn't been so strong there. And they had been running out of time in the Dark Hour. They needed to make some real progress. So he'd told Yukari and Junpei to split.

And somehow, they'd managed to stay split. Every time they walked up a new flight of stairs, the Tower would see to it that they stayed separated. Even if two people walked up together, they stayed separated. Floor, after floor, after floor.

Honestly, it had sounded like a great idea at first. Minato was the _leader_, after all. This was his job. Mitsuru had trusted him, and frankly the two who were under him were counting on him to come through. _They needed him_.

Minato peeked around a blood-stained corner. Yep, there they were. Three Shadows. Maya-types, puddles of black with the red masks. Vulnerable to ice, if he recalled rightly. He took a breath to calm his heartbeat and raised his sword. It would have to be quick.

_It was times like this that reminded him how much he needed them too._

He stepped around the corner, put the Evoker to his head and roared, "_Apsaras!_" The click of the trigger and suddenly the other self burst forth from him. The gray goddess looked scornfully at the enemy and, with a flick of her wrist, sent shards of ice into one. As the first Maya fell, Minato let Apsaras fade away. He dashed to the second and whipped his blade forward. The second Maya suffered several deep cuts before finally shifting out of his way. Minato stabbed forward decisively and struck again, scoring a deep crack through the mask. The second Maya faded away.

Minato turned to the third, and it was only his practiced composure that kept him from dropping the sword. There was the third Shadow - and more coming up behind, a crowd blocking the hallway behind. Despair tugged at his mind. Was this truly it?

And then there was a familiar cry – "Dammit! Get back here you dumb sonuva—" The rest was drowned out in a roar of flame – and there was Junpei, katana in hand. Then Minato saw another Shadow go down with an arrow through its head, and there was Yukari, aiming and firing fit to make the archery club proud.

The three of them managed to finish off their enemies in short order, and stood panting in the murky semi-light of the hall. It was Junpei who spoke first:

"So. Fearless Leader. Got any more bright ideas?"

"Yeah," Minato said. "Let's get outta here."

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Kishi: Huh. I just might be the first P3 ficker to appear on this site. Well, isn't that a nice distinction?

Persona and all related intellectual properties are copyrighted to Atlus Corp. I am just a humble fan.


	2. Chapter 2

-1Kishi: Aight, let's hit the next one. But before I do, I didn't get to say thanks to Ominae for the kind words! I usually reply to any reviewer who has a 'Reply' next to the name, but that leaves out the anonymous folks. So, Ominae, lemme say it: thank you!

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Persona

The Drabble Project

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_My Persona's vulnerable to ice. Heh. Wonder what that says about me?_

Minato hadn't needed much of a hint to get Akihiko's meaning. Senpai had a soft spot for Mitsuru.

His cynical side couldn't really blame Akihiko. Mitsuru was strikingly pretty, elegant, well-educated… tri-lingual… she was the envy of all back at Gekkoukan High. Girls wanted to _be_ her, or at least be _like_ her, and the guys traded photos of her. At least, he was sure they did. He'd never really thought to ask for any, and besides, living with her was eyeful enough.

Then again, his other side thought, there was more to her than just the usual. It wasn't always easy to see, because Mitsuru was careful to keep up the cold façade. She was the commander in charge, a warrior in her element, and no emotion was necessary. The closest she would ever come would be to smile in that confident way, because confidence was what everybody needed.

No, if you were going to see the softer side beneath, you had to watch her very carefully. But it was there nonetheless, inside of a thousand small things she did every day. For example, during Student Council meetings, when Chihiro was doing her best to not shake like a leaf because she'd gotten something wrong in the Treasury. Instead of even forcing the girl to get up in front, Mitsuru would take the poor girl aside and get the information from her - and then let Chihiro sit it out.

It was when she would stay up with Junpei late into the night, helping him with his homework. It was when she fought alongside Yukari and would take up the duty of support so that Yukari could concentrate on throwing enough Garu spells to blow the enemy away. It was in the time she spent just being Fuuka's friend, and in the advice and concerned she showed to Minato himself.

But there was something funny about her friendship with Akihiko. Minato had noticed it since the first nights he was here, when that first Shadow had come. Out of all the friends she had here, Akihiko was the only one who could make her worry. That was the only time when a crack would appear in the perfect image. Suddenly she'd just look a little lost somehow, her eyes a little wider, searching and hoping. She was still competent as a fighter when this happened, but it was as if an element of herself was lost and all of her fencing was simple mechanical action.

Minato shrugged as he walked up the stairs to his room. What they did with themselves was up to them. But he hoped that someday soon, Akihiko would see that she needed him too.

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Kishi: I'll have to confess, I'm only partway through the game. I don't know if these two are going to work out. I guess I'll see, but for now I guess this'll work.


	3. Chapter 3

Kishi: Wow, people seem to like these silly little stories of mine. I'm glad. I hope you guys continue to enjoy! Thanks again to Ominae for reading. Wish I could send something a bit more personal. ; But this is the best I can do to express my gratitude.

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Persona

The Drabble Project

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Minato had never really understood Yukari's obsession with the Kirijo group until now. He remembered her saying that she was alone, just like he was, but he'd never really put the two together in his mind.

Standing here on the beach with the crescent moon shining down, listening to her pour out all of the anger and frustration, he wondered how she'd managed to hold it all in. When his parents had died, it'd been one of those cut-and-dried kind of deaths. They'd both died at the same time, leaving him to mourn and eventually heal all in due time. But not Yukari. Her father had died and, from the sound of it her mother had simply and slowly slipped away. _That_ was a harder thing to deal with, having the pain and the bitterness dredged up and shoved in front of you day after day.

But still, here she was, grinning and smiling day by day, like everything was all right and she wasn't bothered by it. Even now, though he could see her eyes shimmering, she was smiling.

"The world is so _harsh_," she said, her voice cracking. Minato looked at her, standing right where the water met the shore. "I keep trying to see the good, keep on hoping that everything will be all right. And… just… stuff like _this_ keeps on happening."

Minato didn't know what to say. So Yukari just kept right on going.

"I mean, what's the use, right? Why hope for good things when it just gets worse and worse?"

"It's not like that…" Minato began, but he was furiously cut short.

"What do _you_ know about it?" Yukari snapped. "Mr. Perfect! Able to call different Personas, able to lead through anything! Always able to save the day, that's you, isn't it Minato?"

Minato felt his cheeks burning, but he didn't answer it. He couldn't deny what she was saying. Somehow he was just adaptable. He could see through to the core of the situation and could usually come up with a suitable response every time. Even when it had meant trusting to luck and hoping everything would turn out all right.

Honestly, he wasn't perfect. Didn't she remember how very close they'd all come to dying on his account? How many times?

_No_, he thought, _she doesn't. Not now. Be calm._ She needs you.

Yukari shook her head. "No… I'm, I'm sorry. You don't deserve that. I keep forgetting… you lost your parents too." She sighed before looking at Minato. Her eyes were still shining, but her gaze didn't waver. "All right. Since you're so good at leading, tell me. What am I supposed to do?"

Minato thought for a moment, but he didn't need very long. He simply said, "Don't give up hope."

"Is that all?" she asked incredulously. But then she turned out to the ocean again, and her voice began to sound stronger. "But then again, maybe you're right. We have to keep hoping. If we can get rid of Tartarus then the Dark Hour will go away. We can give hope to other people."

She turned back to face Minato again, and she seemed cheerier. "Thanks. I'm sorry about this. I don't want to be a burden to you."

Minato grinned. "You're never a burden for me, Yukari-chan."

"Ooh! Fearless leader _and_ a smooth talker!" Yukari said, giggling in amusement. "And thanks. Really, I don't know where I'd be without you around." And she was still smiling, but there was a sort of distant sadness to it, like she was trying to smile wholeheartedly but couldn't put the whole heart into it.

So without even thinking about it, Minato gave in to impulse. He stepped over to her and wrapped his arms around her. He felt her stiffen, but she didn't resist, and he could feel her heart beating faster.

And for that one moment, with the moon shining down and the wind blowing, Minato was pretty sure that Tartarus was the last thing on either of their minds.

---

Kishi: Well, yeah. I already know what you're going to say – this isn't a perfect rendering of the scene. I know. I tried. I probably did a better job than Atlus did anyway. Speaking of which:

Persona 3 is copyrighted to Atlus Corp. I'm just a not-so-humble fan.


	4. Chapter 4

Kishi: Wow! Such a positive response! Thank you all so much for enjoying this! I hope I can continue to entertain.

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Persona

The Drabble Project

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Junpei had finally become sick of Minato.

It wasn't because Minato was a punk, because he wasn't. He was a calm, reserved young man who bore just the right amount of humor or seriousness needed in any given moment. He knew how to use any weapon they get could get from the keisatsusho in Paulownia. He was immensely popular with anyone and everyone at Gekkoukan. Junpei was pretty sure that he'd even figured out how to date more than one girl, but he couldn't be sure.

_That_ was what pissed him off about this whole thing – the kid was just too damn perfect. Minato did good at anything he set himself to. Top student, utter badass, and a helluva charmer. Hell of an act to follow, really. Junpei couldn't figure out how he did it. Every time he saw the guy, Minato just seemed to be talking with people.

And the worst was that Minato just didn't seem to get it. His popularity, his high regard, everything was met with this stare, this blank gray. Minato either didn't know how to appreciate his fortune or was such an asshole that he simply expected it.

So how was Junpei supposed to compete, he asked himself on the walk home. How in the world did you beat a guy who had the whole world dancing for him? He was sure that he could do anything in the world and go unnoticed, even his old stupid dream of being a baseball player.

"What's the point?" he growled to himself. "I'm no damn hero. Neither is he, though, so why is he… dammit!" It made no sense… and somehow in his self-righteous rant he'd ended up at the shrine.

He didn't know what drove him up the stairs – maybe saying a prayer (Dear Buddha, I want a smokin' babe) or getting a fortune (You are about to receive a fortune) or something to take his mind off the problems of the moment. But he looked to the playground that had been put up nearby and, sure enough, there was Minato. He was sitting next to a little girl on the park bench, and they were talking.

Junpei rolled his eyes and was about to turn away when he noticed that the girl's shoulders were shaking. The girl was crying, he realized, and she was trying to be brave and keep it all in and it just kept leaking out. He looked over at Minato, though, and got another shock. He'd expected the teen's face to look indifferent or distinctly uncomfortable, but instead was probably the last thing he'd expected to see.

Minato looked like he was going to cry too. And try as he might, Junpei couldn't get a sense that he was being anything less than honest. The guy's heart was truly breaking for this girl.

Junpei didn't stay very long. He didn't want to be caught staring. But as he walked back to the dorm he thought about what he'd seen. And he guessed that a hero, really, was whatever he needed to be at any given time. And that Minato, somehow, was able to be for somebody whatever they needed.

Well, hell. If Minato could do it, so could he.

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Kishi: The idea just kinda came up, really, because I was wondering what would happen if the others could see Minato with Maiko. I mean, it's the first time I've seen a protagonist hanging out with a little girl and playing counselor, you know? And Junpei being jealous just made it make sense. Ish.

Persona and all related intellectual properties are copyrighted to Atlus Corp. I am just a humble fan.


	5. Chapter 5

-1Kishi: Once more, thank you all again for all the kind words. I will strive to be worthy.

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Persona

The Drabble Project

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Junpei isn't like most other people that Chidori's run into before. She knows. She's seen.

People, after all, are all the same. They are all born, they all live, and they all die. That's it. Not a single one of them is able to see beyond it. They drown themselves in meaningless pursuits, or useless _things_. And it's all for the same purpose - to take their minds off of how dull it all is, or to distract them from the big black Dead End.

But not Chidori, no. She isn't like them. She draws, constantly, but she isn't trying to drown in anything. Hers aren't the kinds of drawings one would want to drown in, be consumed in. No, she draws because it is how she lives. This is her way of experiencing the world, of truly trying to live before coming to that last fatal Dead End. In this she is able to express and to be unique and not be like all those drones, those sappy girls, those salarymen, those uninspired poets, those broken dreamers.

She is different. Completely, utterly different. Her hair, her dress, her art, everything is different because she is _alive_, so wonderfully alive when all these people walk as though dead.

And that's why she doesn't hate Junpei.

His jokes are terrible, his posture isn't right, and he doesn't carry himself as if he has any concern for tomorrow. He's totally different from anything and everything else that she's run into.

He is unique.

He is alive.

And unlike all those other fools, she simply can't hate him for that.

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Kishi: This… ended up being totally different from what I had originally intended. No joke. I wasn't quite sure what I was going for here, and it suddenly hit me to do it from Chidori's point of view. And I just get the feeling that this is how she looks at things.

Persona and all related intellectual properties are copyrighted to Atlus Corp. I am just a humble fan.


	6. Chapter 6

Kishi: Whaddaya mean Shinji's dead! Aw, man!

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Persona

The Drabble Project

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It's only been a day.

She's been watching Akihiko very carefully since Shinji died. She knows that the two were very close, like brothers. She knows the wrenching emptiness that his death has left in her, but the two of them were always closer. She was always jealous of them, of that sense of camaraderie that they could share that she could not. She was the cause of the problem, and they were the cure, and there was no way she could get over that.

But it doesn't matter now, because Shinji's _dead_, Akihiko is dying inside, and Mitsuru is the only who can see it. He's not at school, no, he's at the gym, hitting the bag as hard as he can. He's doing it so he can forget. He thinks that this is a problem he can just fight away. And she knows that she's going to have to call him out on it whether he wants her to or not.

Today's as good a day as any.

She skips out of school after telling Minato and the others about the meeting, citing personal reasons. Her family owns the school, were they really going to say no? She walks through the city streets, alone in the crowd, until she gets to the gym that Akihiko frequents for his training. But he's not training. He's just sitting there, staring at the people passing by.

This is not normal. She'll have to be careful.

He notices her before she can say anything. "Well, this is new," he said. "What're you doing out here?"

"I could ask the same thing about you," she says, icy and calm as always. She sits down next to him before he can say anything. "The principal gave Shinjiro quite a speech," she says casually. "I was surprised to see you weren't there to hear it."

"I wouldn't have been able to stand it," Akihiko says. "Those words would have been empty. Same old talk about how it's the teacher's fault. Same old student gossip, waiting for the man to stop talking so they can go back to their stupid lives. Like anyone knew him, or cared, or even cares now."

"We do care—" Mitsuru starts, but she doesn't finish.

"And so what!" Akihiko snaps. "Shinji deserves better! He was a hero! He always did what he thought was right. It didn't matter how much it hurt or how high the cost was. He faced forward, no matter what." And his eyes are wide and shining and lost.

"He died the way he would have wanted," she says, and she can't keep the quiver out of her voice. It doesn't matter.

"He shouldn't have had to die at all!" He buries his face in his hands, but he can't stop talking. Words and tears flow freely now. "It's all my fault! If I wasn't so stuck in fighting, maybe I could have seen it coming! I _knew_ that was the day Ken's mother died. I should have seen it the moment Ken and Shinji failed to meet us!" She lets him cry out his grief, sobbing into his hands, and who _cares_ if these people see?

But the storm passes and there he sits, staring down at his hands, and for the first time in a long time it seems that the fight has left the fighter.

She reaches over gingerly and takes the hand closest to her. He doesn't object, just stares at her with that tired, defeated look. She inspects it, runs her fingers along the bruises and the grazings.

"Such strong hands," she murmured. "I remember when you decided to take up boxing. You remember that? You said you were never going to let what happened to Miki happen again. You thought you could keep people from dying with these two hands." She turns his hand over, letting her touch brush over the palm.

"But that's the problem," she says softly. "You can't hold people forever. Eventually they have to go. Not even your two hands could have kept him here."

"Are you trying to make me feel better?" he growls, but that's a good sign. It means some of the fight's coming back.

"I'm just telling you," she said, meeting his brown gaze with her own. "It's not your fault." He just sits there and shakes his head. She mutely kisses his hand and wraps her arms around him, and for that moment they aren't the two Senpai, brilliant and without peer.

For now, they're just Mitsuru and Akihiko, and they miss their friend very much.

---

Kishi: Again, this didn't turn out quite like I thought it would. Oh well. I just wanted an excuse to write an AkixMitsu kind of story, and this seemed to be the occasion. So.

Persona and all related intellectual properties are copyrighted to Atlus Corp. I'm just a humble fan.


	7. Chapter 7

Kishi: Man, I've been away forever and a day, feels like. Did NaNoWriMo… and wouldn't you know it, that draft's got some potential to it. But, until then, I present you with:

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Persona

The Drabble Project

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There are some things in this life that are just easier to deal with when they're far away. Death is easy to think about when it doesn't happen to you. You can just say, "I'm sorry," and feel like you've experienced something of the torment and done some good.

SEES, of course, didn't have this luxury. They'd had two deaths on their hands already, not to mention Ikatsuki and Chidori. And now poor Aegis was gone too, so who knew when she'd be back, if at all?

Still, though, it wasn't that bad, right? Well, no, they were terrible things to endure, but this was SEES. They had a duty to perform, and there was a happy ending they were driving toward that was going to make all of this worthwhile.

Until Ryoji told them all it was going to be for nothing. That the world was going to end in a few months. And there was nothing they could do about it.

Again, the end of the world is one of those things that's nice and easy when it's just an abstract. You don't have to worry about it. It's far off or so farfetched that you just can't conceive of it. But SEES knew better. They'd already had one abstract become real, and they knew that this one could come true just as easily.

What really made Yukari nuts about this whole thing was that Minato's demeanor didn't change at all. She couldn't think about it without a pit appearing in her stomach and feeling weak in the legs. The thought was always there, when she was at school and when she was at the dorm. It colored everything. It was hard to enjoy anything with the thought that in a few months it was all going to go away.

But Minato! He just didn't show anything. He kept on walking and laughing with everybody, like it was no big deal. Like the End wasn't happening.

She couldn't take it. She waited until after school one blustery day in December and waited until she saw him walking out the doors. She caught up with him as he reached the gates of the school. His face showed some surprise, but he gave her a friendly nod nonetheless.

"Minato, can I ask you something?" she asked.

"Sure."

"How in the world are you handling all of this?" she asked. He raised an eyebrow at her, and she went on. "I mean, this world's End… I can't think of anything else. I'm just like Mitsuru. I shake whenever I think of this! I mean, it's just… it's too much!"

"Yukari, take a deep breath. You're talking way too fast."

Yukari took two just for good measure. "I'm sorry. Just… how are you okay with all of this?"

"What makes you think I'm okay with this?"

_But you aren't scared at all!_ "Well, I mean… aren't you?" she asked. She was floundering. All the hysterical words she wanted to hit him with just disappeared in the face of calm gray.

"Don't get me wrong," he said as they walked. "I'm not exactly thrilled about the end of the world. It's just that I've made my decision already."

"What?" That quickly? While everyone else was still in agony, he'd already made a choice? "So, what did you decide?"

"I'm going to fight Nyx when she comes."

"Oh, so it's just that simple, huh? You're going to fight Nyx, even if you don't have a chance of winning?"

"Only Ryoji says we don't have a chance, and I'm not sure I buy that," Minato said with a casual shrug. "It'll be something to worry about when it comes. But until then, I'm going to treasure every moment I've been given. I've still got everything I really want, and it's not like they lose their value just because of what may be."

"So what are you saying, then?" Yukari asked. "That it's just that easy?"

"It's never that easy," Minato said. "I just choose to live this day as if it's my last. I wouldn't want to die with any regrets on my last day. Would you?"

Easy, no. But maybe it was that simple. Yukari shook her head.

---

Kishi: Gosh, I haven't written one of these in _forever_, and I feel all kinds of rusty. Oh well.

Persona and all related intellectual properties are copyrighted to Atlus Corp. I'm just a humble fan.


	8. Chapter 8

Kishi: I DIED. And now I'm back. Writing. AS A ZOMBIE.

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Persona

The Drabble Project

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It's all about control, really.

The fencing foil is right on target. There is no wasted motion. Every lunge is carried out to perfection. She is neither one step forward or back. Her posture is straight. Her eyes are low and level. There is only the target.

Perfect as always.

But there's a price tag on that. He's seen it. He's seen the callouses that form in her palms, in the same hands that hold the pen. If she's not taking on the sword, she's studying how to run the Kirijo group. They said she could rest – really, the end of the world is more important – but she doesn't see it in those terms. She doesn't see the end anymore, only what's waiting on the other side.

Must be Minato rubbing off on her.

But she hardly sleeps. She barely eats. And all too often she just sits with a book in her hands, never turning a page.

He hates to think of her this way, but he can't help thinking of the punching bag when he's gotten the better of it. Sure, it'll hang there for a while, but all it takes is one hit to glance off and then it spins out of control. After that...

Well. He'll just have to catch her when the time comes.

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Kishi: So yeah, back again. Had another couple drabble ideas here and I just thought I'd go ahead and post... hope y'all enjoy!

Persona 3 and all related intellectual properties are copyrighted to Atlus Corp. I'm just a humble fan.


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